A coalition of transport groups will stage a two-day nationwide transport strike on 26 and 27 March, as drivers and operators protest consecutive fuel price hikes.

In a briefing held on 23 March, MANIBELA chair Mar Valbuena said the strike is a last resort after weeks of appeals for immediate relief.

“Ngayong araw, marami na ang tumigil sa amin dahil hindi na talaga kayang bumiyahe,” Valbuena said, noting that fuel costs for jeepneys have surged from roughly ₱1,200–₱1,400 per day to more than ₱3,000. 

“Halos ₱50 na lamang ang take-home namin sa 12 to 14 hours na pagbiyahe,” he added .

Immediate price hikes questioned

Valbuena accused oil companies of taking advantage of Middle East tensions to impose immediate and steep pump price adjustments. He argued that local supply should not have been affected so quickly.

“Walang pangil ang batas. Ang oil deregulation law ay sabor lamang sa mga kapitalista,” Valbuena said.

Fuel prices have risen for four consecutive weeks, tracking global volatility amid escalating conflict in the Middle East. Diesel alone has posted multi-peso increases per liter, cutting deep into the margins of transport workers already affected by inflation.

Fare hike stalled, income collapsing

MANIBELA also criticized regulators for failing to approve a more substantial fare hike despite unprecedented price increases. The current fare increase of ₱1, Valbuena said, was approved “when there was no war and fuel prices had not doubled.”

“Pinag-uusapan namin ang taas-pasahe noong panahong mababa pa ang presyo. Ngayon, kami na ang namamalimos,” he said.

MANIBELA reported that UV Express drivers now earn less than ₱300 after an entire day of driving, while some motorcycle riders take home only ₱40 on slow days. 

Strike aims to force action

The March 26–27 strike, MANIBELA said, is intended to pressure the government into suspending fuel excise taxes, providing direct fuel subsidies, and addressing alleged pricing abuses by oil companies.

“Ayaw namin sana ng strike… pero kailangan mapakinggan ang aming tinig,” Valbuena said. 

“Hindi namin ito ginagawa para maperwisyo ang mga mananakay, kundi dahil wala nang ibang paraan.”